Sore Hocks AND Urine Scald

Question
Have had my bunny for about a month, think he's a Dwarf or something of the sort. Just took him to the vet and he was diagnosed with urnine scald, which I believe is mostly because his fur was too thick in that area, and I just thought he was dirty. So after the diagnosis, I had to remove anything from his cage that he was using to sit in his own potty. Thus, he now has pretty bad hocks, as he has a wire cage. I'm trying to make a compromise between him having something soft to sit on and keeping him from sitting in potty... Any advice? No vets around here really deal with rabbits, so I feel that I am at a loss. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!

Answer
Dear Harley,

A rabbit doesn't get urine scald just from having fur that's too long.  Your bunny has a urinary tract problem that needs to be addressed, or the scald will not go away.  Removing his soft bedding is not going to help the situation, and it will just present other problems, as you already are seeing.

Please read this:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/urinary.html

and try to find a more experienced rabbit vet who will actually *do* something to help your bunny here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

Get him back on soft bedding:  100% cotton chenille mats from someplace like Marshall's (you can get 'em cheap, so get plenty so you can change them and launder them as they get soiled) are excellent.  He should NOT be on a wire floor.  

For help with his sore hocks, please see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sorehocks.html

You don't say how old your bunny is, but arthritis can contribute to both urinary tract problems *and* sore hocks.  I hope you can find a vet who will be able to diagnose the problem, treat it appropriately, and provide pain medication for your bunny while he's healing.

Don't give up.  A good vet may be worth a drive, and your bunny will thank you!

Dana